The Beginning of Masonry

The Beginning of Masonry by Frank C. Higgins: "If the ultimate and all-sustaining secret of Freemasonry may be openly expressed in a few words, it will be these: The entire course of nature is manifested in cycles." This is a free ebook in pdf format.

The Beginning of Masonry by Frank C. Higgins: "If the ultimate and all-sustaining secret of Freemasonry may be openly expressed in a few words, it will be these: The entire course of nature is manifested in cycles." This is a free ebook in pdf format.

is the modern survival, gives the date of its incep-tion, as that at which the above "Cardinal Signs"commenced their reign, viz

. 3995 B

. C., commonly reck-oned as 4000 B

. C

., which, added to the current year, givesus our

Masnnic

date

.

INDEX

PAGE

Frontispiece

-Zodiac

of 4000 B

.C



Avant Propos



First Books of Masonry, by Victor Hugo



Beginning of Masonry



1

Theosophy and Masonry



3The Ancient Mysteries



4

The Secret Doctrine



5

The Hermetic Philosophy



6

Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry



0

God and Masonry



2Masonry's Real Secret



5

Pythagoras and Freemasonry



7

The Forty-seventh Problem



8

The Number-Letter System



3

Three Times Three



4

Gematria(Table of Number-Letters, Greek and Hebrew)



5

The Number "Seven



9The "Pi" Proportion and Genesis



1

Masonry in a Snowflake



4

King Solomon's Temple



7The Working Tools of

E

A



3

The Middle Chamber



6Dedication of the Lodge



0

Pillars of the Porch



3

The Lodge Room Floor



7

The Candidate



0

Whom Does the Candidate Represent



2The Widow's Son



4

The Lodge Heads



8Our Three Grand Masters



1

The Twelve Fellowc1afts



4

The Cable Tow



7

Angles



0

Signs



3Circumambulation



6

Origin of the Sabbath



9The Letter

"

G "



02

The East



05

The Lodgeon High



08

Clothingof a Master Mason



11

The Symbolic Trowel



12

The Lion in Freemasonry



14

The Acacia



17Color in Masonry



21

Light in Masonry



24

Avant

Propos

This is a very small essay concerning a very big subject

. Volumes

have been written upon the presumed connection of Freemasonry with

that vaguegnosisof the past, called "the Ancient Mysteries,

"

but con-cerning the intimate nature of the teaching imparted to initiates, follow-ing upon the ceremonies of reception, of which classic writers have givenus some notion, nothing remains to us but widely scattered symbols

.

It has been the pleasant life-work of the writer to join together, asbest lie could, the scattered pieces of this stupendous "cut out" puzzleand reconstitute the ancient fabric in such a manner as would stand thetest of scientific examination and deserves to live for the benefit of future

generations of men and Masons. These papers have been written as an

elementary course designed to arouse interest in a far deeper investiga-tion of the whole subject

.

Notwithstanding the designedly universal character of the craft, theexternals of Freemasonry possess an altogether human tendency to be-come reflexes of the communities in which they flourish

.

The re-nascent Masonic intellectual activity of the past few years,no more splendid example of which can be cited than the foundation

and

upbuilding of the National Masonic Research Society, throws stronglyinto relief the fact that our American Masonry, has, until quite recently,exerted little effort on other than social and fraternal lines

. The won

derful development of Masonic benevolent institutions throughout theUnited States, has reflected the brotherhood and liberality of Masonicmanhood, but it has been accomplished in the presence of an almost total

oblivion of what wasonce

the principal reason for the existence ofMasonic associations

.

This consisted in the enlightenment of those who were found

worthy

and well qualified to receive deeper insight into the philosophy of exist-ence and hidden historical truthsof anature too disturbing of